Pineapple
Pineapples have exceptional
juiciness and a vibrant tropical
flavor that balances the tastes of
sweet and tart. They are second
only to bananas as America's
favorite tropical fruit. Although the
season for pineapple runs from
March through June, they are
availableyear-round in local
markets.
Pineapples are a composite of
many flowers whose individual
fruitlets fuse together around
acentral core. Each fruitlet can
beidentified by an "eye," the
roughspiny marking on the
pineapple's surface. Pineapples
have a wide cylindrical shape, a
scaly green, brown or yellow skin
and a regalcrown of spiny, blue-
green leaves and fibrous yellow
flesh. The area closer to the base of
the fruit has more sugar content
and therefore a sweeter taste and
more tender texture.